An Impossible Choice
by montypython203
Summary: 10Rose and Martha reunion fic. The Doctor is faced with an impossible choice. Based on a dream I had.
1. Chapter 1

_Title: An Impossible Choice_

_Rating: K+_

_Summary: 10Rose and Martha reunion fic. The Doctor is faced with an impossible choice. Based on a dream I had.  
_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.  
_

_Author's Note: You're probably all sick to death of reunion fics now, but I had this dream and wanted to get it down._

**An Impossible Choice**

The Doctor and Martha ran through the city, the enemy close on their trail. When the Doctor had materialised in London, he'd told Martha that they'd be out of there and having adventures again in no time. However, that had been before he'd run into an old alien enemy of his, the Demintorians. He'd fled straight away, but the Demintorians were catching up.

"What do we do if they catch us?" Martha asked as she struggled to keep up with the Doctor.

"You don't want to know," said the Doctor. "The Demintorians thrive on making people miserable. They make people make impossible decisions, just for fun. They're a truly evil race." They rounded a corner and headed down the footpath.

"I think we've lost them," Martha said. They continued to run as hard and fast as they could ... right into a group of Demintorians.

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_Next chapter's already done, so it should be up tomorrow or soon after. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow, I can't believe how many people have favourited this after the first chapter! This one's dedicated to you guys. It's kinda short, but it had to be. Enjoy!_

"Good morning Miss Tyler."

"Good morning Norman," said Rose as she made her way to her office at Torchwood. "How was your weekend?"

"Non-existent," replied Norman. "I've been swamped. Our equipment has registered all these readings from … wait for it … an old disused basement, a few kilometres away from here."

"What sort of readings?" asked Rose.

"They're unlike anything I've ever seen before," said Norman. "They're emitting huge amounts of power. But what sort of power, I don't know. It's not electric, it's not nuclear…"

"What's in this basement?" questioned Rose.

"Well, nothing," said Norman. "It seems to hold no purpose. I can only assume that it was once used, then whoever used it moved away, then no one bothered to fill it in. I visited it the other day, and this might seem odd, but it made me feel … weird. I don't know how to explain it. It just got to me. I quickly installed a CCTV camera, and then I was off."

"Show me footage from the camera," said Rose. Norman nodded and led Rose to his office. He then pressed a few buttons on his computer, which brought up the image of the old basement.

"See, nothing," he said. Rose observed the basement carefully. It was true, there was nothing in there. But maybe … she reached into her pocket and took out a pair of 3D glasses. Upon putting them on, she saw exactly what she wanted to see – a combination of multicoloured dots.

"Oh my god," she breathed. She then looked down at her own hand, just to be sure. It was a perfect match. "Void stuff."

"Er, what?" said Norman. Rose turned to him.

"Take me to this place," she demanded. "Now."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Here we are," said Norman. Rose looked around in bliss. She felt a tingling sensation all over her body. Her guess was that this basement contained a small hole in the universe. A hole someone covered in void stuff could, hopefully, fit through.

"Thanks Norm," she said. "Now, are you clear on your instructions?"

"Tell your parents you've gone home, and register you as a missing person," said Norman. "You can count on me." Rose smiled and walked around the room. As she moved around, the tingling feeling came and went.

"There must be a specific point somewhere around here," she murmured, randomly swiping her hand through the air.

"Aagh!" exclaimed Norman. "Miss Tyler, y-your hand …" Rose looked at her hand, well, the end of her arm. Her hand had vanished. As she reached further in, more of her arm disappeared.

"This is it," she whispered. "Goodbye Norman. Thanks for everything." And with that she turned, took a big step forward, and was gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Quite rushed, I know. In the next chapter we'll get back to the Doctor ... and his impossible choice..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for your reviews. I know you're all eager to know what happened to Rose ... and I'm afraid you'll have to wait just a little longer._

The Doctor opened his eyes, to find to cold, yellow eyes of a Demintorian staring right back through the eye-holes of its long black cape.

"Hello Doctor," it said in its husky voice. "You've changed a bit since we last met." The Doctor shuddered at the memory. That was when a group of Demintorians had threatened to take away his supply of jelly babies if he didn't do what they wanted. Luckily he'd outsmarted them then. But what did they want this time? He looked around his surroundings. He appeared to be in what looked like a basement. However, it was filled with Demintorian technology.

"Where's Martha?" he asked.

"Ah yes, that girl you were with," said the Demintorian. "My associates are keeping her company."

"Just let her go!" cried the Doctor.

"But Doctor, that would ruin the point of this exercise," the Demintorian said with a twinkle of evil in his eye. He then turned to the doorway. "Bring out the girl!" Two more Demintorians brought a terrified Martha into the room. She tried to struggle, but it was no use.

"Place her on the table," directed the first Demintorian. Martha was put down on a table in the middle of the room, metal clasps securing themselves around her wrists and ankles. The first Demintorian then pressed a button on the side of the table, which activated a large laser to come down from the roof. The laser was aimed directly at Martha's heart. Martha screamed.

"You can't," said the Doctor. "What's she done to you?"

"But that's the joy of being a Demintorian Doctor," the Demintorian said. "To mentally torture people by giving them the hardest decisions that they'll ever make ... it's what we do for fun!"

"So what do I have to do for you to let Martha go?" asked the Doctor. He captured a glint of the Demintorian's silver teeth, smiling beneath his cape.

"I'll tell you what you have to do," it said. "Our race has been observing you for a while now. We've watched you, but alas, we've never had the chance to capture you. During these observations, we noticed a companion of yours that you seemed to value very highly. A blonde girl." The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Ah, you know of whom I speak," said the Demintorian. "It is obvious that this girl is no longer with you. If you want your current companion to live, this is what you must give us in return – your memories of the blonde girl." The Doctor gaped. He knew the Demintorians were cruel, but to do this…

"Doctor, what are you waiting for!" yelled Martha. "Just do what they say!"

"But … Rose …" said the Doctor. "She … she …"

"She's gone Doctor!" said Martha. The Doctor turned to face the Demintorian.

"This is an impossible choice," he said. "Rose may be gone, but the only way I can keep her alive is in my memories. Whatever I decide, one of my companions will die."

"And you must make a decision Doctor, otherwise we will wreak havoc on this world," said the Demintorian. "You must decide which girl means more to you." The Doctor turned from Martha to the Demintorian, frantically trying to make his decision.

"But could I allow myself to do it?" he said. "Could I take my memories of the girl that comforted me after the Time War, the girl that helped me to live again, the girl that I danced with … and just get rid of them?" He looked into Martha's eyes. "But then again, could I make a decision to let someone I care for die?"

"Oi, what about the stuff I've done for you?" asked Martha irritably. But the Doctor wasn't listening. He stared into space.

_This is an impossible choice_, he thought miserably. And yet, the more his mind raced trying to think of a logical answer, the more he realised that this wasn't something you could choose by weighing up the pros and cons. The decision had to be reached instinctively. And thought it hurt to admit it, as soon as the Demintorian had told him his choice, he'd known what he was going to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose looked around. She was still in the basement. Except … she was sure that she'd been standing at the other end before. She was also sure that last time she looked, it wasn't filled with machines and computers …

"I made it," she realised. But now what? Just because she was in this universe didn't mean the Doctor was right in front of her. And was she even in the right universe? A feeling of dread came over her as she realised that she had no idea what she was doing. Just then she heard voices coming from behind the giant computer in front of her. She peeked over the edge, and gasped. It was the Doctor! He was being confronted by a large being in a black cape. As soon as she saw him she wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms and never let go. She went to call out to him, but stopped. She could see 2 more cloaked figures bringing out a young dark-skinned woman wearing a red leather jacket. She gaped as she realised what this meant.

_Oh God, he's gone and replaced me_, she thought miserably. _I've just become another Sarah Jane._ But then again, when she thought about it she realised that the Doctor did need someone to hold his hand. She didn't want him to be lonely, so if this girl made him happy, she supposed that was alright.

_Still_, she thought, _that doesn't mean he can't have me too_. She crouched quietly and listened to what the cloaked figures were saying.

"A blonde girl," said the head figure. Rose may have missed the first part of the conversation, but she could guess who the creature was talking about. It then went on to say that the Doctor had to choose between his memories of Rose and the life of his current companion.

_The poor guy_, Rose thought. _How can they force him to make that choice? _While the Doctor thought about his decision, Rose looked on. Her first instinct had been to reveal herself to him, but as much as she loved him, she didn't want to pressure him. But then again, what if he chose the other girl? Then if she did come out, he wouldn't recognise her, and that would just be painful. She tried to weigh up what to do in her head.

_I suppose if he loses his memories of me, I can always invite myself along and start over with him_, she reasoned. It would definitely be hard, but she didn't want anyone to die on account of her. Her experience meeting her real father had shown her what it was like to have that burden. _And I suppose if he loved me once, he'll love me again. _But would he? Their relationship had been carefully forged over a bunch of deep, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. As the Doctor had told her, each decision we make creates a parallel universe. If he met her a second time, their relationship might be completely different. She put her head in her hands. This was not the decision a 20-year-old girl should have to make.

_But then again, it's not my decision, _she realised. _It's the Doctor's. I've always trusted the Doctor and done what he's asked of me. _And so she decided to look on while the Doctor concentrated on making his decision. While she was waiting, she had a look at the computer screen next to her. It had a number of symbols and pictures on it, all of which seemed to have something to do with the power in the basement. She recalled Mickey trying to teach her the internal workings of a computer, and an idea formed n her head. If she could somehow reprogram this to shut down the power, then no one would have to die. She got to work immediately.

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"Okay, I've made my decision," said the Doctor. Rose looked up from her work as she heard the Doctor speak. She closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.

"You have presented me with a truly cruel choice," said the Doctor. "Both Rose _and _Martha have meant a great deal to me. They have both faced many challenges with me. They have both placed all their trust in me. I have fond memories of both of them. And I have no desire to lose either of them." He turned to Martha. "I like you Martha. You've been a great friend to me." Martha smiled, but the Doctor didn't smile back. "However … I'm sorry to say that there is nothing in this world that could force me to give up my memories of Rose." Rose opened her mouth wide. Martha was shattered.

"I'm gonna die because of you!" she cried.

"And I'll carry that memory for the rest of my days," said the Doctor. "I'll have to live every day with the knowledge of what my decision today has meant. But I'd rather remember than _not _remember."

"But losing Rose caused you so much pain. You could lose it all," temped Martha.

"True," said the Doctor. "But I promised her I wouldn't leave her behind. I promised her I'd remember her. And I intend to do that." He turned to the Demintorians, while an astonished Rose watched from her hiding spot. "Rose Tyler was the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't allow myself to give her up. She meant more to me than anything else in this universe.

And I would cross all of time and space  
To have the chance to see her face  
Coz when she left it was way too soon  
If I could see her again I'd be over the moon"

Tears formed in Rose's eyes at the Doctor's words. She couldn't take it anymore. She stepped out into view.

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_The little rhyme the Doctor did is from my song **I Would Cross All Of Time And Space**. I dreamt it!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry about the cliffie. You can blame my brother._ _He forced me off the computer, and I really wanted to get the chapter up. But it doesn't matter now, coz here's the next one!_

"Doctor," Rose said. The Doctor stopped talking to the Demintorian, and turned around. Upon seeing her, he turned back.

"Oh that's just harsh," he said. Rose looked on, confused. What was he saying? "Projecting an image of Rose into the room so I can see what I've lost … yeah, that makes me feel a whole lot better."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said the Demintorian. The Doctor froze. If what he was seeing wasn't part of the Demintorians' plan, then that must mean … he turned back to Rose.

"R-Rose?" he whimpered.

"Yes Doctor," confirmed Rose. "It's me. I'm real." Without saying a word, the Doctor stumbled over to where Rose was standing. He had to stare at her for a few seconds to make sure all this was really happening. He reached out and placed a hand on her cheek.

"You're real," he whispered. Rose nodded, a tear of happiness running down her cheek.

"My Doctor," she said. The Doctor grinned.

"My Rose!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his former companion. Rose squeezed back, realising how much she had missed the feeling of the Doctor holding her. But just then the Demintorian interrupted them.

"I don't know what's going on here, but it doesn't matter," he said. "Doctor, you have made your choice. Say goodbye to your friend!"

"No!" cried the Doctor, but the Demintorian had already pushed the button for the laser. Martha squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the beam of light to hit her heart. But it never came.

"Yes!" Rose said to herself. The Doctor turned to her.

"Did you have something to do with that?" he asked.

"Kinda," admitted Rose cheekily. "Mickey gave me some IT tips." The Doctor looked at her with pride.

"Our plans are ruined!" cried the Demintorian. "Doctor, you'll pay for this! The laser might be useless, but my people can still attack using physical force." Rose pulled the Doctor towards her.

"Doctor, you have to come with me," she said. "I kinda programmed the laser to … um … explode. In 2 minutes." The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Ah," he said. "But how will we get out?"

"The same way I got in," Rose replied. "Grab Martha and get back over here." The Doctor nodded, and casually strolled over to the Demintorian, secretly taking out his sonic screwdriver as he did so.

"What are you doing?" the Demintorian asked.

"Nothing, nothing," said the Doctor innocently. "Look, an elephant!"

"Doctor, the Demintorians are a highly advanced species. We don't fall for stupid tricks like that," the Demintorian told him. From her spot, Rose could see that the Doctor was having no luck. Then suddenly she got an idea. It was absurd, but she had to try.

"Hey Demintorians!" she yelled. The head Demintorian and the other two looked her way. Rose kept her fingers clasped at the bottom of her T-Shirt, and pulled it up. And the Demintorians, advanced as they were, were still men, so their eyes were glued to Rose's bare chest. The Doctor seized his chance. He ran over to Martha and used the sonic screwdriver to release her.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand and pulling her up.

"So, that's the famous Rose," commented Martha.

"Yeah," answered the Doctor.

"You chose her over me," said Martha seriously.

"Martha, not now," said the Doctor. "That laser's going to explode, we've got to get out." Reluctantly Martha followed the Doctor back to where Rose was standing, noting where the Doctor's eyes were staring. Rose pulled her top back down.

"Step through here," she instructed the others. Martha stepped forward first, but nothing happened.

"Is this some sort of joke?" she asked.

"Oh, it must be coz you're not covered in void stuff," said Rose. "Just hold onto the Doctor as he goes through." Rose took the Doctor's hand and led the way. Martha held onto the Doctor's arm, and as she turned back to look at the basement, she saw a group of bewildered Demintorians who were finally getting the message of what was about to happen to them. The Demintorians that had confirmed her worst fear regarding the Doctor.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for the wait, but my exams have taken priority. Actually, I wrote most of this chapter in the last 15 minutes of my Maths exam!_

The Doctor, Martha and Rose came through into the parallel basement.

"Oh my god," said Martha. "Where are we?"

"The exact same basement we just came from, except in a parallel universe," explained the Doctor. "I guess travel between universes isn't as hard as I thought." He turned to Rose. "Oh Rose, I'm so sorry I made you think you'd never see me again."

"That's okay," said Rose. "It was being separated from you that made me realise how much I need you. How much I … love you." Martha's eyes widened at this confession. The Doctor just stood there, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Ditto, Rose Tyler," he said. "About everything."

"You mean…?" said Rose and Martha in unison.

"Look into my eyes Rose," said the Doctor. Rose gulped and took a step towards him. She looked into his eyes, and he told her the words she'd been longing to hear for so long.

"I love you." He then leaned down and captured her lips with his. Rose kissed him back, while Martha looked on, feeling so many feelings at once. This was just Joan all over again! Except … this time the Doctor was all there. And he'd been through so much with the girl he was now kissing. She had to face the facts – unless he was giving her a genetic transfer, that girl would never be her.

"Eh hem," she said. The Doctor and Rose stopped, and looked her way.

"Well, now that's all sorted…" she said, "…I've got some announcements of my own to make. First of al, I love the Doctor too." Rose gasped, and the Doctor sighed.

"I know Martha," he said. "But I don't…"

"I know," interrupted Martha. "I know you don't feel the same way. I know every time you've taken my hand, there's been a part of you that's wished it was Rose's. I know how much you've missed her. And now that you've got her back, there doesn't seem to be a reason for me to stay. Which is why I'm going to leave."

"Oh Martha, you don't have to do that because of me," said Rose. "You've obviously been a great friend to the Doctor, I wouldn't want you to lose that."

"Rose, the Doctor chose memories of you over _my life_," said Martha. "And that hurt. Luckily you were there to save me, thanks for that by the way, but if I kept travelling with you guys then it'd just be the same thing over and over again. And I wouldn't be able to handle that." The Doctor lowered his head as he took in what Martha had said. She was right. Now that he had Rose back, he never wanted to lose her again. He didn't know what lengths he'd go to to ensure her safety. And he certainly didn't want Martha to feel like a shadow, or as Mickey would say, a tin dog. Perhaps it would be better for them to part ways now. It was going to happen eventually.

"Okay Martha," he said. "Let's take you home."


	7. Chapter 7

_This is the last chapter. _

They went back through to the other basement, which was now falling to pieces. They made their way through the debris in silence. For although the Doctor wanted to jump for joy from the delight of having Rose back, it would be sad to lose Martha. He cleared his throat.

"Um, does anyone know where we're going?" he asked. "Martha and I kinda woke up here, but we don't actually know where we are."

"Oh, I know the way out," replied Rose, who took the lead. The Doctor nodded.

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"Well, here we are," said the Doctor as they reached the TARDIS.

"Great, see ya," said Martha.

"What?" said the Doctor. "Martha, the least I could do is give you a lift home."

"I don't want it," insisted Martha, her voice almost down to a whisper as she choked back the tears. "I just want to get this over with. I just want to get home and finish my degree, and move on."

"Degree?" questioned Rose.

"Martha's a medical student," explained the Doctor.

"Oh," said Rose. "Um, Martha, do you think you and I could have a word in the TARDIS? In private?" Martha went to shake her head, but the Doctor gave her a look that told her to do as she was asked. She sighed and followed Rose inside.

"Oh, it's good to be home," commented Rose as she looked around the ship.

"Well, it's all yours now," said Martha. "Can I go now?"

"Just … listen to me," said Rose. "Listen, I know what a relationship with the Doctor is like. I've been through it all before."

"Yeah, except yours wasn't one-sided," said Martha.

"Oh believe me, there were times when I didn't know what the Doctor felt about me," said Rose. "Like, have you heard of Madame de Pompadour?"

"Yeah, the Uncrowned Queen of France," recalled Martha.

"Yep, and almost Uncrowned Queen of the TARDIS," said Rose.

"What?" said Martha.

"Long story," said Rose, sighing. "The point is, the Doctor isn't very good at showing his feelings."

"He seemed to show 'em all right with you just now," said Martha.

"But it took him time to realise that," said Rose, getting her point across. "And when it's just the two of you in the TARDIS, the tension can seem unbearable. But you've got to get through it all, coz at the end of the day, you know you wouldn't miss it for the world." Martha looked Rose, and thought about what she'd said. Here was a girl, younger than herself, with wisdom far beyond her years. What was more, she really seemed to understand the Doctor. There was so much she wanted to say, but all she could manage was:

"Okay."

"Okay?" repeated Rose.

"Yeah," replied Martha. "I mean, I understand what you're saying. Meeting you has really opened up my eyes. Every time the Doctor mentioned you, I used to get this huge bout of jealousy. But now after meeting you, I dunno, it's just so much clearer. About you, about him, about everything." Rose smiled.

"Yeah, meeting a previous companion tends to do that to you," she said. Martha cocked her head to one side. "Never mind."

"Right," said Martha. "Well Rose, thanks for the talk. I now know that you're going to make the Doctor happy, and that makes me happy."

"I'm so glad you feel that way," said Rose. "You can still come with us if you want."

"Nah," said Martha. "I've still got a life here, I'll be fine. But you take care of the Doctor."

"Don't worry, I will," promised Rose. They then hugged, and together, opened the doors of the TARDIS. The Doctor was standing there with his arms crossed.

"Where are the claw marks?" he asked.

"Doctor, we're adults, we know how to work things out," said Rose. Martha nodded.

"So are you still leaving?" the Doctor asked Martha.

"Yeah," answered Martha. "But now it will be with much better thoughts. I still don't like that I could have died just now, but I understand why you valued memories of Rose so highly."

"Thank you," said the Doctor. "She's very special to me. As were you, Martha Jones. Just in a different way." Martha ran into the Doctor's arms, giving him one last hug.

"I'm going to miss you," she admitted.

"Tell you what," said Rose. "If you ever feel the need to talk about the Doctor, look for a Sarah Jane Smith. Trust me, she'll help you."

"Who is she?" Martha asked.

"You'll find out," replied Rose. Martha nodded and turned back to the Doctor.

"Goodbye Doctor," she said.

"Goodbye Martha," said the Doctor, giving Martha a quick peck on the cheek. Martha blushed.

"Goodbye!" she called to Rose.

"See ya!" exclaimed Rose. Martha turned her back, and walked away from the TARDIS. She'd gotten about 20 metres when she turned back. She saw the TARDIS, and her life with the Doctor, disappearing. But it didn't matter. The Doctor was happy, Rose was happy, and she had a new outlook on life.

"Always look on the bright side of life," she sang as she walked down the street, a smile on her face. She may not have ended up with the Doctor, but she ended up having the time of her life.

**The End**

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_Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!_


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